Enhancing salt stress tolerance in winter vegetables through seed priming: A comprehensive review

Salinity is a critical abiotic stress adversely affecting the growth, development, and yield of winter vegetables, particularly in regions with saline soils and limited water. The accumulation of excessive salts in the root zone reduces water uptake, causes ion toxicity, and induces oxidative stress, ultimately impairing plant physiological and metabolic functions. Enhancing the salt tolerance in winter vegetables is essential to ensure sustainable production and food security. Seed priming, a pre-sowing treatment, has emerged as a promising, eco-friendly, and cost-effective approach to mitigate the adverse effects of salinity stress. This review provides detailed mechanisms through which different seed priming methods enhance salt tolerance in winter vegetables. It also compares the efficiency of various priming agents and their impacts on physiological, biochemical, and morphological traits. Additionally, the potential integration of seed priming into modern agricultural practices, along with challenges and future perspectives, is discussed to highlight its role in sustainable vegetable production under saline environments. This study underscores the importance of seed priming as a practical solution to mitigate salinity stress and ensure the resilience of winter vegetable cultivation in salt-affected regions.